


Alone, Together

by noctolux



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Christmas Fluff, M/M, Oneshot, Secret Santa, akeshuake secret santa 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-22 01:13:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13156041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noctolux/pseuds/noctolux
Summary: For AkeShuake Secret Santa 2017For the first time in his life, Goro Akechi wasn’t alone for Christmas.





	Alone, Together

**Author's Note:**

  * For [adastra_j](https://archiveofourown.org/users/adastra_j/gifts).



> This is my gift for my Secret Santa assignee, Jo, @gorocrisis on twitter, and I'm so thankful to be assigned someone that is so fun and loves the boys so much! She had so many creative ideas, and because it's Christmas, I decided to use the Christmas prompt! 
> 
> I have another note for you at the end, Jo, I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! 
> 
> \- L

The snow was falling before Akechi realized the Metaverse was gone. Morgana had disappeared only a few moments ago and the sky had turned from red to blue, but time seemed to have slowed and his brain hadn’t acclimated to the sudden shift. The Phantom Thieves had truly saved the world, and Goro Akechi was alive surrounded by friends for the first time in his life.

It’s difficult to imagine the Phantom Thieves with their simple minds and simple plans had managed to do what he could not, and in a way, he laughed at his own pride for thinking he alone was going to save the world. Of course, he was a child when he decided his destiny, but weren’t the Phantom Thieves also children? Wasn’t he still, also, a child? 

His hands suddenly felt weightless at his side, and he held them up to examine them. The invisible shackles that had held him captive for so long had released him and his wrists showed no mark of their memory. The world had truly been remade, and he was finally free. 

The frozen world began moving again. Passerby’s on the streets paid them no mind, bustling about preparing for their Christmas festivities. The snow in the evening sky danced around them, and the former members of the Phantom Thieves laughed joyously over the prospects of their victory. All but one of them, that is.

“Is this what you’d call a white Christmas!?” Ann Takamaki exclaimed excitedly, holding her hand out to catch the snow flurries in her palm. 

“No, it’s still Christmas Eve, silly.” Makoto answered, her natural leadership showing through even in the smallest of circumstances. “But anyhow, we should break for today. Let’s meet at Leblanc tomorrow and have a final meeting on the situation.” 

“Why don’t we do a last celebration party!”

“Tell Boss to reserve the store!” 

“We’re counting on you!” 

And with that they disbanded, the final heist of the Phantom Thieves over. 

Akechi made no move to leave and watched them go without a second glance back. It all seemed so strange. Maybe it was his complete lack of social understanding of people his own age, but he could never comprehend their thinking. They saved his life despite logic pointing the opposite way. They extend a hand to save the needy, and yet, ignore the needy right in front of them. 

"All alone on Christmas, huh…” a stranger on the street said while jostling past him. Akechi glanced at the former leader of the Phantom Thieves, his dark curls sprinkled with snow and his dazed expression told Akechi that he too, was deep in thought. Usually, Akechi could never deduce what he was thinking, his mysterious aura was one of the things about the boy that made him so intriguing. However, for probably the first time, Akechi was positive he knew what was on his mind, and for once, Akechi wasn’t really sure what to say. 

They stood silently like this for a while, until the chill had burrowed itself through the fabric of their jackets and their breath held heavy in the winter air. Looking harder, Akira’s hands were shaking, but Akechi knew it wasn’t because of the cold. 

"Kurusu..." he said finally, his voice softer then he'd intended. Steel eyes locked with his own, but their expression was lost behind the fog of his glasses. 

“I didn’t expect to find the world’s savior alone on Christmas,” a voice said suddenly from the crowd. Both Akira and Akechi glanced over to see Sae Niijima swiftly approaching them, and Akechi knew her well enough to see, just by her deliberation, that she wasn’t there out of sheer coincidence. She jolted when she recognized him. “Akechi? I didn’t see you there.”

Akechi chuckled. “It’s nice to think I can blend into a crowd, it’s been a while since that’s happened.” 

Her posture was tense as she glanced from him to Akira, and different emotions were fluttering across her features. What was she doing here?

“Any matter, I’m glad it’s you two. I need to speak with you about something.” She sighed. “First of all, I’d like to thank you for taking my request. With your actions, I can only hope that public opinion will change, it will… won’t it?”

Akira nodded.

She closed her eyes and smiled. “I believe it will, too. Shido confessed to a variety of crimes, we can arrest him on those charges. However,” she paused for a moment. “There is a problem with proving him guilty. Without a correlation between the mental shutdowns and the Metaverse…” she trailed off, her body becoming tenser. “You two are the only ones that can testify. Shido didn’t name you, Akechi, but… I’ll be blunt. I want you both to turn yourselves into the police.”

Akechi’s breath hitched in his throat. The chills that covered his body moments ago replaced with a burning heat. Of course, the fleeting freedom he'd felt was a lie, much like the other false comforts he'd found in his life. He wasn't blameless, it's not like freedom was something he felt like he deserved, necessarily. It just seemed like the fate that had been bestowed on him was to never escape the tyranny of this cruel world, no matter how hard he tried to resist it. 

“But why?” Akira said, slowly, uncertainty in his tone.

“Your testimonies are necessary to prove Shido guilty. You’ll be treated as a hero but the police and public prosecutors won’t let that slide. Kurusu, your name is already known by the police. There is no telling what they’ll do to you or your teammates, they may even fabricate a crime to arrest you all. If you turn yourself in, you’ll definitely be arrested, this will be seen as “grave misconduct” on your probation.” She sighed again, and then looked directly at Akira. “You’ll most likely be sent to juvenile hall and placed in solitary confinement.”

Akira went stiff, and Sae looked away. “They’ll be content as long as they get a testimony without hailing the Phantom Thieves as heroes. I can guarantee the safety of your teammates and I’ll close the cases surrounding Shido. I want to prevent society from becoming distorted again. That’s what you want as well, right?”

The air was stagnant between the three of them. Her sudden arrival was as shocking as the request she was making. Akechi was sure she’d seen what Akira had done today, and he knew how far she’d gone to help him get to this point. Was she really wanting to arrest him after all she’d seen? There had to be something else that they could do, Akira Kurusu didn’t deserve this. 

“I’ll do it to save my teammates.” Akira answered her after a moment, no hesitation in his voice despite the obvious hesitation that Akechi knew was there. 

“And you, Goro Akechi,” Sae said, addressing him finally. “Shido didn’t name you in his confession and there is no proof of your involvement in all of this, save for your word. Only myself and the Phantom Thieves know what you did, and I… realize the situation that you were in… but your testimony…”

“Wouldn’t mine be enough?” Akira said suddenly. “I said I’d do it to save my teammates. He happens to be a member of my team.” 

Akechi’s eyes went wide. _No._

“It’s true, we have no evidence of his involvement. Unlike you, his name hasn’t even appeared in this case aside from being one of the few investigating it. If he turned himself in, it would be his own accord… I understand your hesitation, but…”

“I’ll do it, my testimony is enough,” Akira answered her, a sudden fire burning in his eyes that even the fog of his glasses couldn’t contain. 

Sae smiled sadly at him, and nodded. “I had a feeling you’d say that. And you,” she looked to Akechi. “You have a choice to do what is right. But that choice is entirely up to you. Alright, Kurusu, let’s go.” And with that it seemed everything was decided, and Sae and Akira turned and began to walk away into the crowd. But it wasn’t right. This wasn’t the way to handle this.

“Wait!” Akechi said calling after them. “Sae-san, can’t you give him just a little more time.”

She paused in her step, turning to face him once again. Her eyes darted from the two of them, and she suddenly smiled. “I understand, it _is_ Christmas after all. You can turn yourself in tomorrow.” And with that, the prosecutor strolled off into the night, leaving as swiftly as she arrived.

That was much easier then he'd expected it to be.

Akira watched her go, unmoving, his back still to Akechi. Hasn’t he had to suffer enough? 

“Kurusu, I…” he began.

“Thank you,” Akira said suddenly, interrupting him. 

“Of course,” Akechi said to his back. He thought of Akira from earlier, his unreadable expression, his quivering hands. He'd never seen him so shaken, even the cognitive version that was ready to die in the interrogation room was still the composed Akira he'd known for months. Vulnerability like that was never something either of them were so willing to show anyone, and the fact Akira allowed Akechi to see his vulnerability today _changed_ something. Akechi needed to understand. 

"Are you…hungry by chance? I know of quite a few places that we might could go, if you’re interested? " Akechi asked it slowly, felt heat rising to his cheeks. He probably wouldn't have been able to ask if Akira had been facing him. He never could before, no matter how much he'd thought about it. Akira would probably say no, and it's understandable given what's transpired between them. If their roles were reversed, Akechi would probably be disgusted and he would say 'no' too, it's foolish to ask especially in a time like this.

"I'd love to," Akira answered, turning to face him with a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Interesting. Not what Akechi was expecting.

\--- 

Akira Kurusu was something of an enigma. Nothing about him was striking, from the way that he walked to the words that he spoke. He wore the same jacket everyday and his posture was too straight and too shapeless, and yet, something about him had always drawn in Akechi’s undivided attention.

He’d see him sometimes, head held down, hands thrust deep in his pockets, making his way through the throngs of people on the streets with an almost undetectable normalcy. The dark curls on his head were like a contained chaos, his piercing eyes burned with passion, hidden behind the mask of his fake glasses. The more Akechi knew about him, the more intriguing he became. 

Everyone that knew Akira Kurusu had a different story to tell. He had a nasty criminal record; drinking, smoking, theft, Kurusu had done it all; his parents were members of the mafia, it was rumored he’d killed a man; he’d been involved in all sorts of shady things, it was best to just stay away from him. But then, when Akechi had asked the owner of the cafe that Kurusu was boarding, he had described him as a wonderful but unlucky boy, a victim of unfortunate circumstance and the cruel greed of adults. 

Akechi learned something about the leader of the Phantom Thieves every time he saw him, but it was never enough. Akechi had changed his route to school in the mornings on the off chance of bumping into him at the station, he found himself crossing paths with him almost everywhere he went. Just when Akechi had thought he’d figured him out, Kurusu would surprise him in a way he would never expect. No one had ever done that to him before. 

He was like an intoxicating fly trap, and Akechi fell for the bait everytime. It had done nothing but infuriated him, or so he thought. He tried to snuff out his desire to be close to him, but it was an incurable disease. He wanted to know everything about him. 

The series of events that occured between them over the last couple of months were not desirable, and the mere memory made Akechi’s skin crawl. Of course, he’s ascertained the identity of the Phantom Thieves almost instantly when he met them, Ryuji and Ann were not the best at secrecy. Actually turning them in had proven a lot more difficult for him. As time passed, part of Akechi didn’t want their identities to be found by the police. Or maybe, Akechi didn’t want Akira Kurusu to be found. He hadn’t figured him out yet. 

Even now, walking down the chilly streets of Shinjuku, Akechi couldn’t decipher what was on Akira’s mind. A lot had happened to him in such a short period of time. He lost his closest friend, he lost the world that gave him everything, he was informed he had one day before he was arrested, and despite all of that, he chose to spend that day with a boy that tried to kill him. And here he was now, _smiling._

“After all the publicity I gave this place with my blog, you’d think they’d have a mind to return the favor,” Akechi sighed as they walked out of yet another restaurant without reservations. It was an impulsive decision to ask Akira out for dinner so late on Christmas Eve, and he hadn’t thought it though. Of course everywhere nice would be full. “I’m afraid dinner won’t be happening. I’m sorry, Kurusu.”

Akira laughed at his side, a genuine hearty laugh, one that Akechi could swear he’d never heard before.

“It’s fine!” Akira assured him. “Honestly, this is all nice to me, it’s my first Christmas in Tokyo.”

_Right,_ it was his first Christmas in the city. According to his case file, Kurusu was originally from Kansai, a town in the country. No wonder he’s smiling, he’d probably never seen anything like this before. 

“What was Christmas like in your hometown?” Akechi asked him.

“Nothing like this,” Akira replied, earnestly, looking around at the crowds on the street. “People would go out to dinner, there was a small festival but it wasn’t too great.” 

The snow was coming down thicker now, it was beautiful but Akechi knew they  
wouldn’t be able to stay out too long. Both of them were still in their school uniforms, no scarves, no coats, and the snow was already melting into his clothes. Akira squinted into the crowd, looking through the sea of nameless faces to where a purple blur was piercing through the snow. “What’s going on over there?” 

“My assumption is that it’s Terrace City,” Akechi answered. “It’s a Christmas light exhibit. I’ve never been, but I’ve heard that it’s beautiful.”

Akira smiled at him, wryly. “Want to go?” 

 

Terrace City did an illumination every year, it was one of the nicest light shows in Tokyo and Akechi couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of coming to see it earlier. The walls, streets, and trees of this part of the city were decorated completely in purple Christmas lights, and coupled with the falling snow, it made everything feel extremely ethereal. 

The pair walked through the streets in silence admiring the scenery. Akechi had lived in Tokyo for years and had never gone out on Christmas, and he realized now how much he’d missed out. Christmas had never been a happy holiday for him, it was usually a time he spent alone. He looked over at Akira, the purple of the lights reflecting off his glasses, making him seem like part of the attraction. 

“You know, you could probably see better if you took off your glasses,” Akechi said with a smug expression. “I know you don’t need them to see.” 

“Did you read that in my case file?” Akira asked, a teasing tone to his voice. 

“No, but I am a detective, noticing the details is part of my job,” Akechi teased back. 

Akira shrugged in acknowledgement, and slowly took off his glasses, pausing for a moment to look at them in his hands. “I’ve been wearing them almost everyday since I moved to Tokyo. It’s become a habit.” He looked up at the lights. “But you’re right, the snow was making them foggy.” 

The pair continued down the winding path of the streets, following the lights. The further they travelled, the less crowded it became. Akechi was thankful that no one had recognized him, it was rare, but it was nice to feel normal for once. 

Finally they came upon what had to be the main attraction of the illumination. It was a small park, hidden in the city, a cobblestone path winding through a small forest of trees. Everything from the small bushes by the path to the tops of the trees were wrapped tightly by the strings of never ending lights. Everywhere the eye could see was bathed in a purple glow.

They slowly made their way along the path, admiring the lights in a comfortable silence. They were almost completely alone, a stark contrast from the crowds on the streets earlier. Akechi spared a glance over at Akira, able to see his face in full now. No mask. 

This was the Akira Kurusu he had grown to know so well, the one that called himself “Joker” in the Metaverse, the one that was always surrounded by his friends. Akira without a mask. He, too, was basked in the purple light of the illumination. The snow had peppered his hair white, the water making the curls twist and become even wilder than usual. 

Akechi thought of the Akira from earlier and his open vulnerability and shaking hands. It was like they were two different people. Akira’s friends loved him, that much Akechi knew for sure, but he didn’t think they knew him. Much like how no one _knew_ Akechi. 

Akira feared loneliness, just like Akechi did. And tomorrow he would be arrested and put in solitary confinement, and there wasn’t anything he could do about it. 

_Solitary confinement._

Solitary confinement seemed like a fitting end for someone like himself, it resonated the worst kind of fear. It meant loneliness, emptiness, loss of purpose, loss of worth. Akechi had experienced a life of loneliness as a child and his years of growth had caused him to do anything to avoid that life again. And if Akechi’s deductions were right, Akira was very similar to himself. Solitary confinement would be a nightmare. After losing Morgana, the Metaverse, and the Phantom Thieves, Akechi wasn’t really sure how Kurusu would be able to handle all of it. 

It wasn’t fair. 

Grey eyes slowly shifted to meet with his own and Akechi felt his skin burning. Akira’s steady gaze always unnerved him, and Akechi broke the contact quickly, looking back to the lights, away from Kurusu’s inquisitive eyes.

Akira let out a slight huff (a laugh?) next to him and he, too, looked back at the lights. Akechi suddenly felt the warmth of Akira’s hand in his own, lacing their fingers together and holding it tightly, and even through the leathered texture of his gloves, Akechi felt Akira’s thumb trace circles on the back of his hand. 

“It’s okay,” Akira assured him. 

Akechi wasn’t sure what it meant, but it was nice.

\--- 

It was late in the evening by the time they made it back to Leblanc. Sojiro Sakura, who had obviously been waiting on Akira’s return, had already sized the two boys up and sighed in disbelief by the time the door closed behind them.

“You two look like a couple of drowned rats, I can’t believe you went out in this weather dressed like that.” He rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Your dinner is ready, hurry and eat it before it gets cold.” 

On the counter ready for them was two bowls of steaming curry. Two cups of hot coffee had already been made and was left for them, the warmth surrounding them hinted at the freshness. Obviously Sojiro had known Akira wouldn’t be coming home alone. 

“Thank you! That smells delicious,” Akechi told him enthusiastically. Despite what the older man liked to think about himself, he was very thoughtful.

“Whatever,” Sojiro scoffed, and made his way around the counter, grabbing his coat to head home for the night. Sakura’s eyes softened when he saw Kurusu. “Oh, and uh. Merry Christmas.” 

“You too,” Akira said. “Thank you for everything.”

Sojiro scoffed again before heading out the door, leaving the two of them alone. 

“You are really lucky to have him,” Akechi said, warmth in his tone.

Akira smiled. “I know.” 

Akira grabbed the bowls, nodded his head to his attic room, and Akechi grabbed the coffee mugs and followed suit. The cafe was dark and chilly which meant it had probably been closed for a while before the two of them arrived. As Akechi made his way up the stairs, he suddenly became acutely aware of how alone the two of them were. 

He and Akira had spoken one on one and had personal conversations with each other in public many times before, being in each other’s presence had always felt very comfortable. However, they had never been truly _alone_ before. 

Akechi could feel his heart racing. The only time he had been alone with Akira was a brief moment in the Metaverse, the moment when he shot him. It wasn’t the real Akira, so it didn’t really count, but as he watched him set the two hot bowls of curry on the floor by a heater and beckon him enthusiastically, Akechi wondered briefly if this had been a good idea after all. Akira had been very deliberate in all of his actions since arriving to Leblanc and Akechi had just let it happen, curiosity being his fatal flaw, he waited to see if Akira was ready to tell him what exactly was on his mind. 

Akira had made the Leblanc attic his own, hung posters on the wall, set up a bookcase, and showcased a shelf with an odd assortment of knick knacks. Akechi liked the room, a lot more than he’d ever care to admit. Despite it being a dusty attic, it was comfortable. 

Akira followed his gaze to the shelf and let out a small laugh.

“Gifts from my friends,” he said, pointing with his thumb. Ah, it makes sense. Kurusu was on probation after all, he probably had to leave all of his possessions behind when he came to Tokyo. The gifts probably meant a lot more to him then his friends knew. Due to circumstance, even the smallest action could have a big impact. Akechi could relate to that feeling well.

The two boys shouldered off their school jackets, now completely soaked, and settled on the floor beside Akira’s heater.

Akechi looked down at the curry bowl left by his feet. Mild spices, the only Leblanc curry he could handle. 

“Did you tell Sakura I was coming?”

“Nope, probably a lucky guess.”

Interesting. 

The two ate their dinner in silence, the warmth of the heater and the curry heating their chilled bones was as refreshing as it was relaxing.

“Honestly,” Akechi sighed as he set his now empty bowl down beside him. “This was better than any restaurant I could have taken you too.” 

“Planning on sharing about this on your blog?” Akira teased.

“Oh! Definitely not! This is _my_ cafe. The attention might bring in business, but…” he took a sip of his coffee, and sighed deeply. “It may be selfish, but I like keeping it a secret.” 

Akira nodded, and looked into the burning eye of the heater. “It makes it feel like home.”

“Yeah…”

Akira’s hands started shaking again. Softly this time, not like before. Akechi wouldn’t have noticed had he not been paying close attention to every action the boy next to him made. Akira’s face held the same blank expression it always held. If he was going to say something, it had to be now. 

“Kurusu, is there something you want to tell me?” Akechi asked it slowly, measured. As foolish as it was, he wanted Akira to trust him. He _needed_ him too. 

“You aren’t planning on turning yourself into the police, are you?” Akira said not breaking eye contact with the heater. 

That wasn’t what he was expecting. 

Akechi weighed in on what the context meant, but instead of overthinking, decided to pry.

“No, I’m not.” 

“Good. Don’t.” 

Again, the answer wasn’t what he was expecting.

“You called me your teammate earlier, did you mean that?”

“Yes.” 

Which meant that part of Akira’s willingness to turn himself in to the police in the morning was on his account. Which didn’t make sense, he didn’t deserve the honor. 

After Shido’s palace, he’d thought he was dead.

He’d accepted his death, despite everything he’d ever done in his life being a means of survival. He wanted to do something to ensure Akira would live, and if it meant dying, so be it. He couldn't watch Akira die again. 

Somehow, he’d survived. And somehow, Akira had forgiven him.

“I don’t plan on naming you,” Akira told him. “You’re completely free from all of this.”

“That isn’t fair to you.”

“It is. I _want_ you to be free.” Akira looked from the fire to Akechi, meeting his gaze. “You deserve it.” 

_He’s wrong._

“I have something for you…” Akira’s voice was soft, and he dug in his school bag, with Mona gone, it seemed much emptier than usual. He pulled out a small present wrapped in red and black paper (typical) and rested it in Akechi’s hands. 

Akechi wasn’t prepared.

“I don’t have anything for you. I hadn’t planned---“

“Just open it.” 

Akechi looked down at the small present in his hands, it was a perfect square with a matching bow. 

_To Goro_ was written on a name tag dangling from the side. His first name.

He was hesitant at first, undoing the ribbon, popping the tape of the paper without tearing it. Finally, he opened the box and dug out the contents inside.

It was a coffee mug that looked almost exactly like the ones used in Leblanc. It was rounder and whiter, maybe a little more pristine and new, but otherwise looked exactly the same. 

“There’s more…” Akira said, urging Akechi to continue. 

At the bottom of the box was a small note. Akechi could feel his face burning. He hadn’t been expecting a gift and wasn’t mentally prepared for it. 

The note was simple, reading the words _“You always have a home here”_ in what had to be Akira’s handwriting, and taped below the writing, a door key.

Akechi stared into the burning embers of the heater, his hands white, gripping the coffee mug a little too tight.

“You can’t give this to me.”

“I already have,” Akira’s words were soft and Akechi could see him watching intently from his peripheral vision.

“I…” words escaped him. He couldn’t form thoughts, color spiralled in his vision. He was too hot, the floor too hard, the air too stuffy, no comfort was found in any of the senses. It was all too much, too fast, unwarranted. “I have nothing… to give you in return. I can’t accept this.”

“There is no accepting it, it just is,” Akira assured him, leaning his body in closer to speak in an even softer voice. “This place will always be a home to you. Even if I’m gone, this place is yours.” 

“You can’t…”

“I did,” he said it with a smug laugh, and pointed to the mug. “You recognize it. I looked everywhere for just the right one. The small differences reminded me of you.” 

It was too much.

“I don’t have a gift for you,” Akechi felt so small and weak, full of emotion and no where to place it. “I don’t have anything to offer you in return.”

Akira reached to him, and Akechi involuntarily flinched as his hand rested on top of his own.

“You’re here, that’s enough,” he smiled. “The gifts on the wall, they are wonderful too. But the people that gave them to me aren’t here with me. You are.” Akira sighed, his face falling slightly. “I thought I was going to be alone.” 

“Me too,” Akechi answered him, feeling chills rush through his body despite the warmth of the heater. Telling someone about his shortcomings never came easy, but with Akira-- something was different. “I’m always alone on Christmas.”

“Not anymore.”

Akechi turned to him to protest, but no words came to mind. His mind was blank, his mouth too dry and Akira too close. He’d never been this close to him before, to _anyone_ before. He could see the twinkle in Akira’s silver eyes, reflecting the orange glow of the heater with a fiery determination usually masked by his glasses. Akira’s cheeks were rosy, and he slowly leaned into him. Their lips touched. 

It was a light touch, not as much of a kiss as it was simply pressing into each other, but it was enough. Akechi’s heart was racing, he reached up and gripped tufts of the fabric on either side of Akira’s collarbone, not sure what to do but knew he wanted to do something. He felt Akira smile against his face, and one hand reached up to hold the back of his head, tilting it so Akira could deepen their kiss. 

Akechi could feel that now he was the one trembling. Everything was blurry and confusing and as their noses touched, he realized he’d been holding his breath. Akira’s eyes opened slowly and he broke the touch, leaning away slightly. 

“I’m happy you’re here.” The words came out in small breaths, his eyes half lidded.

It was Akechi’s turn to smile. “Merry Christmas, Akira.”

“Merry Christmas, Goro.”

And for a brief moment, the troubles of the past and future were gone. All that existed was the two of them and this moment. And for the first time in his life, Goro felt like he was home.

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas Jo! I hope you liked it! It's the very first fanfiction I've ever shared, and I'm so happy my first story got to be a Shuake story expressing positivity and love. Thank you so much for the wonderful prompt! You said you were looking for "fluff", "Christmas fluff" and "banter", so I decided to target those themes with my story. I wanted to fill the story with sweet and tender moments between the boys, because they deserve it. I want Goro to feel like he belongs and that he's loved, and I want Akira to feel secure and hopeful! Hope it was sort of what you were hoping for!
> 
> Thank you so much for loving the boys and joining the AkeShuake Secret Santa so I could write this for you. I hope your Christmas was wonderful and that you have an amazing New Years~!


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